Motorized friction drive mower



Maid! 1969 R. J. CUSTANCE MOTORIZED FRICTION DRIVE MOWER Sheet FiledNOV. 1, 1965 March 18, 1969 R. J. CUSTANCE MOTORIZED FRICTION DRIVEMOWER Z of 3 Sheet Filed NOV. 1, 1965 FIGZ March 18, 1969 R. J. CUSTANCEMOTORIZED FRICTION DRIVE MOWER Sheet 3 of 3 Filed Nov. 1. 1965 3,433,002MOTORIZED FRICTION DRIVE MOWER Raymond J. Custance, 47 Te Ante Road,Haveiock North, Hawkes Bay, North lsiand, New Zealand Filed Nov. 1,1965, Ser. No. 505,859 Claims priority, application Sweden, Nov. 10,1964,

13,537/64 Us. (:1. 56-26 11 Claims rm. (:1. A01d 35/24 ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE This invention relates to motorized mowers of the kind havinga body which is supported on ground wheels and carries both a rotatingor reciprocating cutter and a motor, such as an electric motor or aninternal combustion engine. The motor both propels the wheels and drivesthe cutter.

In accordance with the present invention, the body of a motorized mowerof the kind described is supported on four ground wheels, one at thefront and rear on each side, with the wheels on each side of the bodybeing driven through a common friction roller which rests on and betweenthe two wheels.

This arrangement calls for a short front to rear wheel base so that thefriction roller on each side can rest in the V formed between the frontand rear ground wheels. The machine can therefore be made very compactand this results in easy maneuvering and storing. The friction drive ischeap, positive, easily controlled and drives all four wheels at thesame time. By having all the four wheels driven, the machine can be usedin rough and wet conditions without appreciable slipping because thereare always three wheels in contact with the ground and these are allcapable of propelling the machine.

The friction roller on each side of the body may be rotatably mounted ona pivoted support member which can rock to bring the friction rollerinto and out of engagement with the ground wheels without affecting thedrive to the friction roller, with the two support members beingresiliently urged in directions to bring the friction rollers intoengagement with the ground wheels but being arranged upon operation of amanual control member to move against the spring loading to disconnectthe drive to the wheels. This feature enables the positive drive to theground wheels to be disconnected without affecting the drive to thecutter so that, if necessary, the machine can be inspected stationarywith the cutter running or manipulated by hand to cut rough grass ininaccessible positions.

When the mower is of the conventional design having a handle whichextends upwardly and rearwardly from the body for gripping by apedestrian operator walking behind the mower, the handle preferablyforms the manual control member and includes two legs which pass and aremovably mounted one on each side of the body and are connected to thepivoted support members in such a way that when the handle is pulledbackwards or downwards the support members rock so that the frictionStates 1 atent Q rollers move out of engagement with the ground wheelsand the drive to the ground wheels is disconnected, and when the outerend of the handle is pushed forwards or upwards, the drive isre-engaged. If the weight of the handle is incompletely counter-balancedby the spring loading on the support members, when the outer end of thehandle is released by a pedestrian operator for any reason, the handlewill fall backwards and downwards under its own weight and causeautomatically the disengagement of the drive to the ground wheels. Thehandle then forms in effect a dead mans handle which prevents the mowerfrom running away if it is released by an operator who for examplestumbles.

The handle legs may be pivoted directly on the body and be connected tothe support members by a pin and slot connection, but preferably thehandle legs are pivoted to the support member and are loosely guided inguides on the body.

The pivoted support members on the two sides of the body may be rigidlyinterconnected so that they rock together and the two friction rollersmay then be driven by a common axle on which they are mounted. In orderto allow over-riding of the driven axle from the ground wheels when thefriction rollers are in engagement with the ground wheels, a pawl andratchet mechanism may be interposed between each friction roller and thecommon axle.

When the common axle is provided, it may carry at one side of the body asprocket wheel which is driven by a chain passing around a secondsprocket wheel which is freely rotatable about an axis coincidental withthe pivotal axis of the support members, with the second sprocket wheelbeing rigidly connected to a third sprocket wheel which is driven by asecond chain through which the cutter is driven from the motor.

The friction rollers may be provided with peripheral teeth which meshwith similar teeth on at least one of the ground wheels on each side ofthe body. The teeth on the ground wheels may be formed by part of thetread of the tires and when only one of the front and rear ground wheelsare provided with teeth, it is preferably the front wheels which are soprovided.

The invention is particularly appliacble to a mover of the kind in whichthe cutter is a cylindrical reel fitted with a number of axiallyextending helical blades which co-operate with a fixed ledger blade atthe bottom of the body. The reel may then be rotatably mounted on atransverse axis extending between the front ground wheels of themachine. With this arrangement, there is a space provided behind thecutter reel between the rear ground wheels and a grass catcher may befitted in this space so that the grass cuttings are thrown upwardly andrearwardly by the cutter reel into the grass catcher. Since the grasscatcher starts from within the wheel base of the mower, the arrangementis particularly compact and there is little danger of the catchergetting in the Way of the pedestrian operators feet as he walks behindthe mower.

When the cutter reel is of this form, in order to be able to set theheight of the cutter above the ground, the two ground wheels on eachside of the body may be freely rotatable on the stub axles projectinglaterally from a bar which extends along the side of the body, with therear end of the bar being pivoted to the body and the front end of thebar being selectively secured to the body in any one of a number ofpositions at different heights relatively to the body.

One example of a motorized mower constructed in accordance with thepresent invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the mower without its grass catcher;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the body of the mower;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of the body of the mower;

FIGURE 4 is an elevation of the left hand side of the mower body withparts broken away; and,

FIGURE 5 is an elevation of the right hand side of the body with otherparts broken away.

As shown most clearly in FIGURE 1, the mower has a body with a chassisformed by a deck plate 6 to which side plates 7 and 8 are welded. Aninternal combustion engine 9 of conventional design is mounted on top ofthe deck plate 6 and is arranged to drive a cutter reel 10 and front andrear ground wheels 11 and 12 through a centrifugal clutch 13. A throttlecontrol 14 for the motor is adjacent to the free end of a handle 15having a pair of legs 16 which extend one on each side of the body ofthe mower.

The cutter reel 10 has a central axle 17 and the ends thereof arerotatable in bearings 18 carried on the inner surfaces of the sideplates 7 and 8. The axle 17 extends right through the bearing 18 carriedby the plate 8 and has rigidly fixed on its end a sprocket wheel 19. Thesprocket wheel 19 and hence the cutter reel 10 are driven from asprocket wheel 20 on the output shaft of the centrifugal clutch 13 by achain 21 housed within a guard 22.

The helical blades of the cutter reel 10 co-operate with a stationaryledger plate 23 which extends between the bottom edge of the side plates7 and 8. At each side the ledger plate 23 carries a bracket 24 which isbolted to the side plates 7 and 8 by bolts 25 and 26. The bolts 25 eachextend through an off center hole in a block 27 which is rotatable inthe corresponding side plates 7 and 8 and the height of the ledger palte23 relatively to the cutter reel 10 can be adjusted by loosening thebolts 25 and 26 and rotating the blocks 27 to the necessary extent. Thebolts 26 pass through elongated slots 28 in the side plates 7 and 8 toallow for any longitudinal movement of the ledger plate 23 consequentupon rotation of the blocks 27. When the adjustment has been made, thebolts 25 and 26 are retightened again.

The ground wheels 11 and 12 on each side of the mower body are freelyrotatable on stub axles 29 and 30 respectively which are fixed to a bar31 the rear end of which is pivotally mounted by means of a bolt 32 tothe corresponding side plate 7 or '8 and the front end of which issecured by means of a bolt 33 to the corresponding side plate. The bolts33 are arranged to extend through any one of a number of part circularholes 34 at the front ends of the side plates and this enables anadjustment in the height of the front end of the bar 31 relatively tothe body of the mower, and hence an adjustment in the height of thecutter reel 10 and ledger plate 23 above the ground, to be made. Thebars 31 on each side of the mower body are similar although the bar onthe left hand side of the machine has wider return portions 35 and thecorresponding bolt 33 requires a spacer 36, in order to accommodate thedriving mechanism which is positioned on the left hand side of the body.

The drive to the ground wheels 11 and 12 is also transmitted through thechain 21 which, as well as passing around the sprocket wheels 19 and 20also passes with its outer surface in engagement with a further sprocketwheel 37. The sprocket wheel 37 is rigidly fixed on a sleeve 38 that isfreely rotatable on a bearing carried by a bolt 39 extending through theguard 22 and through the side plate 8. Immediately inside the side plate8 one end of a supporting arm 40' is pivotally mounted on the bolt 39and immediately within the side plate 7 is a further identical arm 40having an end which is pivotally mounted on a bolt 41 which extendsthrough the side plate 7 coaxially with the bolt 39. Rigidlyinterconnecting the two arms 40 is a bearing tube 41a through which ashaft 42 extends, and the ends of the shaft 42 extend through openings43 in the side plates 7 and 8 and carry toothed friction rollers 44 inthe V formed between and above .4 the ground wheels 11 and 12 on eachside of the body. Between the side plate 8 and the adjacent frictionroller 44-, the shaft 42 has keyed thereon another sprocket wheel 45which is driven from a further sprocket wheel 46 fixed on the sleeve 38through a chain 47 within a guard 48.

The assembly of two supporting arms 44), the transverse tube 41a, andthe shaft 42, are urged to pivot about the bolts 39 and 41 backwards anddownwards under the action of hairpin tension springs 49 which arespaced at intervals across the body and are interposed between a shieldplate 50 for the cutter reel 10, the deck plate 6, and the top of thetube 410. The extreme lower ends of the legs 16 of the handles 15 areformed by flat bars 51 one of which extends loosely through a guidechannel 52 carried by the right hand bar 31 and which are sprung overand pivotally connected to studs 53 projecting outwards through thecorresponding openings 43 from lugs 54 on the corresponding supportingarms 40.

When the handle 15 is pulled backwards or downwards, its legs slidebackwards through the channel 52 and this causes the assembly ofsupporting arms 40, tube 41a, shaft 42, and friction rollers 44 to swingupwards about the axis of the bolts 39 and 41 to the position shown inFIGURE 5 in which the friction rollers 44 are clear of the ground wheels11 and 12. Indeed, the weight of the handle 15 is such that if it isreleased its weight is sufiicient to overcome the reaction of thesprings 49 and to cause the assembly to swing upwards to thisinoperative position. In this inoperative position, the cutter reel 10is still driven through the chain 21, provided that the engine 9 isrunning fast enough to engage the centrifugal clutch 13, and since theaxis of the bolts 39 and 41 about which the assembly swings upwards iscoincidental with the axis of rotation of the sprocket wheels 37 and 46,the drive to the friction rollers 44 through the chain 47 and sprocketwheel 45 is unaffected. Upward movement of the assembly is limited bythe engagement of the top edge of the right hand stud 53 with a bracket55 fixed to the corresponding bar 31.

In order to engage the drive to the ground wheels, the handle 15 ispushed forward or at least lifted sufficiently for the reaction of thesprings 49 to pivot the assembly downwards and backwards so that thefriction rollers 44 engage both the ground wheels 11 and 12 on each sideof the body. The solid rubber tires on the front ground wheels 11 areprovided with a toothed tread of the same pitch as the teeth on thefriction rollers 44 to assist in transmitting the drive to the groundwheels 11 at least. Pawl and ratchet mechanisms are fitted between thefriction rollers 44 and the shaft 41 in such a way that a forward driveis transmitted by the pawl and ratchet mechanisms from the engine 9 tothe ground wheels but the ground wheels can overrun the drive, forexample, the outer pair of ground wheels when turning. It will beappreciated that the cutter reel 10 is driven in the same direction asthe ground wheels 11 and 12 because there are two reversals in thedirection of the drive between the sprocket wheel 20 and the groundwheels. One reversal is caused by the engagement of the back of thechain 21 with the sprocket wheel 37 and the other is provided by theinterposition of the friction rollers 44 themselves. The positions ofthe axis of the shaft 41a and the pivotal axis of the supporting armassembly relatively to the axis of the axles 29 and 30 and the center ofpivoting of the bolt 32 is such that the adjustment to the bars 31provided by the bolts 33 and holes 34 has negligible effect on the evenengagement between the friction rollers 44 and the front and rear groundwheels 11 and 12.

The cutter reel 10 extends between the front ground wheels 11 and assuggested in FIGURES 2 and 4, the space behind the cutter reel betweenthe rear ground wheels 12 can be fitted with a grass catcher 56 intowhich the grass is thrown by the reel 10 and which can be removed foremptying. The grass catcher 56 is fitted to the mower body by means oflugs 57 which lip under flanges on the brackets 24 while central bottomportions of the sides of the catcher rest on spacer 58 carried on thebolts 32.

I claim:

1. A motorized mower comprising a body having sides and four groundwheels, one at the front and rear of each side, cutter means carried bythe body, a pivoted support member on each side, a driving frictionroller rotatably mounted on the support member, biasing means for urgingthe support member in a direction to move the friction roller into jointcontact with the two wheels on that side of the body, drive means forthe friction roller, and means for moving the support member in anotherdirection to remove the friction roller from said contact, with thedrive to said friction roller being un ffected by the movement of saidsupport member.

2. The mower according to claim 1, in which said means for moving saidsupport member is a handle which extends upwardly and rearwardly fromthe body for gripping by a pedestrian operator walking behind the mower,the handle including two legs which pass and are movably mounted one oneach side of the body and are connected to the pivoted support membersin such a way that when the handle is pulled backwards or downwards, thesupport members rock so that the friction rollers move out of engagementwith the ground wheels and the drive to the ground wheels isdisconnected, and when the outer end of the handle is pushed forwards orupwards, the drive is re-engaged.

3. The mower according to claim 2, in which the weight of the handle issuch as to overcome a spring loading on the support members whereby whenthe outer end of the handle is released by a pedestrian operator, thehandle falls backwards and downwards under its own weight and causesautomatically the disengagement of the drive to the ground wheels.

4. The mower according to claim 3 including guides on the body and saidhandle legs being pivoted to the support members and loosely guided insaid guides.

5. The mower according to claim 1, in which the pivoted support memberson the two sides of the body are rigidly interconnected so that saidmembers rock together and a common axle on which the two frictionrollers are mounted and driven.

6. The mower according to claim 5, in which a pawl and ratchet mechanismis interposed between each friction roller and the common axle so thatoverriding of the axle from the ground wheels is possible when thefriction rollers are in engagement with the ground wheels.

7. The mower according to claim 6, in which the common axle carries atone side of the body a sprocket wheel which is driven by a chain passingaround a second sprocket wheel which is freely rotatable about an axiscoincidental with the pivotal axis of the support members, and thesecond sprocket wheel being rigidly connected to a third sprocket wheelwhich is driven by a second chain through which a cutter is driven fromthe motor.

8. The mower according to claim 1, in which the friction rollers areprovided with peripheral teeth which mesh with smaller teeth on at leastone of the ground wheels on each side of the body.

9. The mower according to claim 1 including a cutter defined by acylindrical reel fitted with a number of axially extending helicalblades and a fixed ledger blade at the bottom of the body with whichsaid blades cooperate, the reel being rotatably mounted on a transverseaxis extending between the front ground wheels.

10. The mower according to claim 9, including a bar extending along eachside of the body, stub axles projecting laterally from each bar, theground wheels on each side being freely rotatable on the stub axles, therear end of the bar being pivoted to the body and the front end of thebar being selectively secured to the body in any one of a number ofpositions at different heights relatively to the body whereby the heightof the cutter above the ground can be set.

11. The mower according to claim 10, in which a grass catcher is fittedin the space behind the cylindrical reel between the rear ground wheelsso that grass cuttings thrown upwards and rearwardly by the cylindricalreel enter the grass catcher.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,380,181 7/1945 Krenzien -742,474,085 6/1949 Albright 180-19 2,623,603 12/1952 Cutlan et al. 180-192,645,300 7/1953 Watts et al. 180-76 2,742,973 4/1956 Johannesen 180-19X 2,823,507 2/1958 Cooper et al. 5625.4 2,824,415 2/1958 Frazier 180-193,003,300 10/1961 Jepson 56-26 3,035,385 5/1962 Lill 56-25.4 3,068,63212/1962 Postlewatt et al. 56-26 3,343,621 9/1967 Van Doorne 180-74ALDRICH F. MEDBERY, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

